TIGA, the games industry trade association, is pleased to announce the re-accreditation of the following games courses at the University of Portsmouth.
BSc (Hons) Computer Games Technology
BSc (Hons) Computer Games Enterprise
Both courses had exceptional graduate employment stats, with 90% of graduates in ‘Professional/Managerial’ jobs (Discover Uni data).
BSc (Hons) Computer Games Technology graduates 2015 – 2019
Percentage in work using their game technology skills: 81%
Percentage employed: 99.4%
Students follow pathways through the course, developing specialist art, programming or design skills. There is an emphasis on working in teams in the course that prepares students for working on larger indie or AAA titles.
BSc (Hons) Computer Games Enterprise graduates 2015 – 2019
Percentage in work using their game technology skills (games & related): 75%
Percentage employed: 100%
Students are prepared for careers as game producers and managers. They also acquire skills needed to set up their own companies.
The TIGA Accreditation Team was impressed by the following examples of best practice:
- The presence of group projects in each year of the courses is commendable. In particular enabling students to learn the importance of approaches such as ‘failing fast’ right at the start of the courses in the ‘Technical Game Demo Development’ module means that they are able to develop robust approaches to game development.
- The second year Student Enterprise module is a valuable opportunity for students to develop an awareness of the commercial context of creating original products.
- The final year group project is exemplary. The use of real-world clients means students are challenged by real-world problems, which will help in developing deep problem solving skills. The structuring of the project teams so that BSc (Hons) Computer Games Enterprise students can manage them is excellent. More widely the integration of the two courses gives students on both courses many opportunities to develop game development skills in an industry-like context.
- Supporting students in taking a self-employed placement year between levels 4 and 5 gives students a chance at experiencing real world game development within the supported environment of their courses. This excellent learning experience sits very comfortably alongside the placements that are offered at existing companies.
- The facilities available to students include a Motion Capture Studio, Virtual Reality Lab and Game Development Labs with up to date hardware, including the latest games console development kits (Xbox, Switch, PS4 and new technologies as they become available). The TIGA Accreditation Team would like to commend the technical staff who support this wide range of facilities and also commend them for their valuable input into the students’ learning experiences.
The approach of the courses in creating rich and supportive environments where students can develop their specialist skills means that graduates emerge as critically reflective practitioners who are able to quickly engage with new technologies and techniques.
Accreditation Team
The Accreditation Team from TIGA who reviewed the courses comprised:
Dr Richard Wilson, OBE CEO TIGA
Dr Mark Eyles, TIGA Educational Advisor
Dr Jacob Habgood, Director of Education Partnerships, Sumo Digital
Karl Hilton, Studios Director, Lockwood Publishing
Dr Mark Eyles, TIGA Educational Advisor said:
“The University of Portsmouth games courses are characterised by opportunities for students to develop games in multidisciplinary teams right from day one and through to the final year. Students apply the specialist skills they are gaining in these industry focused experiences, preparing them to hit the ground running on graduation.”
Dr Richard Wilson OBE, TIGA CEO, said:
“The two video games courses at the University of Portsmouth are delivered by enthusiastic, dedicated and industry relevant course teams. The University is doing an excellent job in preparing their students for work in the video games industry and related sectors. TIGA University Accreditation recognises the very best video games courses in the UK. Congratulations to the University of Portsmouth on achieving TIGA Accreditation.”
Dr Jake Habgood, Director of Education Partnerships at Sumo Digital:
“The provision and support of console development facilities is testament to the enthusiasm and commitment of the University of Portsmouth teaching team. Their integration into the teaching programme of the Computer Games Technology BSc provides specialist skills which are highly valued by industry.”
Dr Adrian Hull, Head of the School of Creative Technologies:
“We’re thrilled to have received reaccreditation from TIGA and are looking to the future as we implement CCIXR – our new Centre for Creative and Immersive eXtended Reality (supported by the Solent LEP) – with 12 state-of-the-art XR laboratories. Developing our links and working in partnership with industry offers enormous opportunities to evolve not only our educational provision but to continue to build on our impact in and support of the UK Creative and Cultural sector.”
Neil Dansey, Academic Lead in Creative Technologies (Play, Code, Create):
“At the University of Portsmouth we are extremely proud to have had our Games courses reaccredited by TIGA. Having our teaching recognised by industry bodies is critical, as it’s our core ethos to produce graduates that match the skill set required in such a competitive industry. To have our client-led, industry-focused approach supported in this way is very encouraging, and we look forward to developing some long-term projects with TIGA with regard to facilitating ongoing industry placements for both staff and students.